It's not surprising that Acadia National Park in Maine is the seventh-most popular national park in the U.S . Despite its small size (49,075 acres), Acadia is brimming with scenic hikes and some of the best spots to see fall foliage in New England along rocky coasts and granite mountains. These scenes draw so many tourists that it could get too crowded at times, especially during summer. But the Midwest hides a better Acadia alternative, and it promises a much more relaxed, remote, and rugged experience.

Michigan's Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park , A.K.A. the "Porkies," boasts a dramatic mountain escarpment overlooking a Great Lake. Like Acadia, it's also a dreamy fall destination that offers various activities. But Porcupine Mountains Wilderness is much more pristin

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